“AI-enhanced productivity is not a shortcut to competence,” they said, and the “aggressive” incorporation of AI into the workplace can have negative impacts on workers who don’t remain cognitively engaged. Humans still need the skills to catch AI’s errors, guide output, and provide oversight, the researchers emphasized.
“Cognitive effort — and even getting painfully stuck — is important for fostering mastery,” they said.
Managers should think “intentionally” when they deploy AI tools to ensure engineers continue to learn as they work, the researchers advised. Major LLM providers provide learning environments, such as Anthropic’s Claude Code Learning and Explanatory modes, or OpenAI’s ChatGPT Study Mode, to assist.
